European and international cooperation on humanitarian aid

Helping people affected by crises and disasters is a global concern and providing aid is a global effort. An effective and efficient response to humanitarian disasters depends to a large extent on close cooperation between all involved parties at different levels.

The European Commission's Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department (ECHO) is active in a wide range of international fora, first at a European level but also at international level through UN bodies' donor groups, and bilateral agreements with third countries. The international fora range from high-level summits establishing joint strategic priorities to meetings at working level to explore concrete solutions to common challenges. In May 2016, the first ever World Humanitarian Summit marked a high-point on the global humanitarian agenda.